New Mac Pro Features Upgradeable SSD, Apple Selling 2TB, 4TB, and 8TB SSD Kits

[theorist9]

Has anyone examined these to confirm whether they are full SSD's, or the storage module only (like on the Studio)?

I.e., in the Studio, storage is also slotted rather than soldered; but the part you can pull out is the SSD's storage module only—it doesn't include the controller, which is upstream and not removable (it may be on the die itself).

 

[FlyerKumar]

MacRumors Forums: complains about an Apple Silicon Mac Pro not having expandable SSD

Apple: releases AS Mac Pro with expandable SSD

MacRumors: complains about price

No, complaining about overpriced and PROPRIETARY NVMe SSDs and the fact that they do not sell a 1 TB separately to add to the existing 1 TB base model configuration. It is token expandability at best: violates the spirit and intent in every way possible. Unethical business practice and corporate culture: I hope Microsoft buries then into the ground again so that they can eat a face load of humble pie 🥧 again like they did in the 1990s. The macOS windowing interface completely sucks to and is completely inferior to that of Microsoft Windows 🪟 since Windows 95 🪟 at least and certainly since Windows 2000, Vista, and 7. Inferior and substandard overpriced junk.

 

[FlyerKumar]

How are the 2 module NVMe SSD configurations (4 TB and 8 TB) configured by Apple for new Mac Pro (2023) purchases: as a single combined RAID 0 (striping) or concatenated span, or as separate independently individual 2 TB or 4 TB volumes respectively?

Configure your Mac Pro (2023) – Apple Support

And if combined into a single volume: is it done using the standard RAID Assistant in Disk Utility or some other method in the firmware or EFI not accessible or configurable to the user?

If one had a 2 TB at purchase with an extra unpopulated NVMe slot availabl and purchased another 2 TB Apple 🍎 NVMe SSD: could this be 1) added to the existing configuration without issue and 2) be migrated into RAID 0 (striping), RAID 1 (mirror), or concatenated JBOD using RAID Assistant in Disk Utility without having to erase and repartition the volume and reinstall macOS and restore the data from back up and 3) will it still be bootable as the primary Macintosh HD boot volume?

 

[FlyerKumar]

Not sure how wise this approach is. It's evident that Apple is going proprietary to force Mac Pro users to get high-margin NVMe drives directly from Apple. It's a genuine lock-in approach. But with the Mac Studio, I can't see how this won't push many potential Mac Pro users to opt for the Mac Studio instead. And considering the price premium for the Mac Pro when compared to the Mac Studio when opting for the same Apple M2 Ultra SoC and the same amount of RAM, Apple surely is making way more per Mac Pro sold compared to the Mac Studio.

Ultimately, I'm not sure this will end in a net positive for Apple if enough users that would typically opt for the Mac Pro end up going with the Mac Studio. In the end, Apple doesn't care, I suppose—still a rather strange choice.

No, it will push me to Microsoft Windows 🪟 on AMD64 and say * to Apple .

 

[FlyerKumar]

Nvidia wrote drivers for the Turing (RTX 2000) series of GPUs - Apple refused to sign them.

Nvidia isn't the hold up - Apple is.

Apple 🍎 should be SUED by NVIDIA and in a class-action lawsuit for this.

 

[bxs]

Wait for OWC to sell a version of this for much cheaper.

Wait for how long though is the pain for this.

 

[bxs]

How are the 2 module NVMe SSD configurations (4 TB and 8 TB) configured by Apple for new Mac Pro (2023) purchases: as a single combined RAID 0 (striping) or concatenated span, or as separate independently individual 2 TB or 4 TB volumes respectively?

Configure your Mac Pro (2023) – Apple Support
View attachment 2250538

And if combined into a single volume: is it done using the standard RAID Assistant in Disk Utility or some other method in the firmware or EFI not accessible or configurable to the user?

If one had a 2 TB at purchase with an extra unpopulated NVMe slot availabl and purchased another 2 TB Apple 🍎 NVMe SSD: could this be 1) added to the existing configuration without issue and 2) be migrated into RAID 0 (striping), RAID 1 (mirror), or concatenated JBOD using RAID Assistant in Disk Utility without having to erase and repartition the volume and reinstall macOS and restore the data from back up and 3) will it still be bootable as the primary Macintosh HD boot volume?

The 2023 Mac Pro can be configured with 1, 2, 4 and 8 TB internal SSD.

The 2023 Mac Pro has two SSD module slot connectors for the SSD modules.

The 1TB config uses a 1TB module in one of the two SSD slots
The 2TB config uses a 2TB module in one of the two SSD slots
The 4TB config uses 2x 2TB modules with each one occupying a slot - meaning both slots are populated
The 8TB config uses 2x 4TB modules with each one occupying a slot - meaning both slots are populated

My question is for sequential reads what is the performance for each of these configs? My real question is, does the 4TB and 8TB configs provide better read performance than the 1TB and 2TB configs due to having both SSD slots being used?

Thanks.

 

[bxs]

Well, a purchase decision has been made to acquire the new 2023 M2 Ultra Mac Pro (24-core CPU, 60-core GPU, 32‑core Neural Engine). This will replace my 2019 MP7,1.

Being able to transfer close to $5,000 worth of gear from my 2019 MP to the new 23 MP makes it a no brainer to simply not consider the M2 Ultra Studio that cannot accept ANY of my 2019 MP's accessories.... and in addition can privately sell my 2019 MP for a decent price to soften the $ hit buying the new 23 MP. Even the wheels on my 2019 MP can transfer over to the 23 MP... Yea.....

My original config for UM was the 128 GB but have now upgraded this to the max of 192 GB due to anticipated new specialized Project workload coming online for business that is said to require more memory. The UM cannot be upgraded whereas SSD can be. So it's necessary to spend the money on UM up front. Will go for the 4TB SSD.

Will also spend some extra on getting 2x 20TB Toshiba MG10 Series from OWC to populate my existing 2019 MP's Promise Pegasus J2i enclosure that transfers from the 2019 Mac Pro to the new M2 Ultra Mac Pro, to provide 40TB of internal spinning storage.

I will also use my OWC 2x TB2 Thunderbolt 4 mini enclosures that each have 4x 5TB 2.5" 5400 rpm disks in each for additional 40 TB of external storage space.

The 2019 Mac Pro has three PCIe cards: two are Sonnet SSD M.2 4x4 PCIe x16 lanes cards each with 4x 2TB SSD Samsung blades setup with 4x2TB RAID-0 for some 6,000 MB/s (tested to show that 100 GB can be written in ~17 secs), and one Kyro PCIe card having a 1TB Samsung SSD blade. These PCIe cards are compatible with the new M2 Ultra Mac Pro. The M2 Ultra Mac Pro's open PCIe slots will be for future upgrades as required.

The wheels on the 2019 Mac Pro will be removed and installed on the new 2023 Mac Pro, and its stands/feet will be removed and transferred over to the 2019 Mac Pro.

Having the bulk of my daily used data on the disks in the J2i and on the Sonnet SSDs, it will save loads of wall clock time moving the data over from the 2019 MP to the 2023 MP, as the data will be immediately available on the new MP without any fuss or bother.

For me, Apple's 2023 MP is just the ticket for making an upgrade to the Apple Silicon era. I'm tickled pink.

Will place the order next week. Expect delivery to be in Oct sometime.

I wonder what macOS version will be on it .... Ventura or Sonoma that was released today?

Will place the 2019 Mac Pro 16core/3.2GHz, Turbo Boost up to 4.4 GHz, Radeon Pro Vega II with 32GB of HBM2 memory, 384 GB RAM, Apple Afterburner, 1TB SSD, and extended AppleCare+ active up for sale.

 

[andyfromboston]

Wait for how long though is the pain for this.

I’ve said it before and I’ll probably have to say it again. If these prices disturb you, you’re not in the market for workstation hardware. You should have a Mac Mini or build an AMD desktop or something like that.

 

[bxs]

I’ve said it before and I’ll probably have to say it again. If these prices disturb you, you’re not in the market for workstation hardware. You should have a Mac Mini or build an AMD desktop or something like that.

I really don't understand your response.

 

[andyfromboston]

I really don't understand your response.

You’re right, it had nothing to do with what you wrote. My bad. I’m responding to these ssds coming up again. Every time apple releases something for the workstation or production market some of these guys spaz at the prices, as if high end hardware were a new thing.

 

[jwestpro]

Well, a purchase decision has been made to acquire the new 2023 M2 Ultra Mac Pro (24-core CPU, 60-core GPU, 32‑core Neural Engine). This will replace my 2019 MP7,1.

Being able to transfer close to $5,000 worth of gear from my 2019 MP to the new 23 MP makes it a no brainer to simply not consider the M2 Ultra Studio that cannot accept ANY of my 2019 MP's accessories.... and in addition can privately sell my 2019 MP for a decent price to soften the $ hit buying the new 23 MP. Even the wheels on my 2019 MP can transfer over to the 23 MP... Yea.....

My original config for UM was the 128 GB but have now upgraded this to the max of 192 GB due to anticipated new specialized Project workload coming online for business that is said to require more memory. The UM cannot be upgraded whereas SSD can be. So it's necessary to spend the money on UM up front. Will go for the 4TB SSD.

Will also spend some extra on getting 2x 20TB Toshiba MG10 Series from OWC to populate my existing 2019 MP's Promise Pegasus J2i enclosure that transfers from the 2019 Mac Pro to the new M2 Ultra Mac Pro, to provide 40TB of internal spinning storage.

I will also use my OWC 2x TB2 Thunderbolt 4 mini enclosures that each have 4x 5TB 2.5" 5400 rpm disks in each for additional 40 TB of external storage space.

The 2019 Mac Pro has three PCIe cards: two are Sonnet SSD M.2 4x4 PCIe x16 lanes cards each with 4x 2TB SSD Samsung blades setup with 4x2TB RAID-0 for some 6,000 MB/s (tested to show that 100 GB can be written in ~17 secs), and one Kyro PCIe card having a 1TB Samsung SSD blade. These PCIe cards are compatible with the new M2 Ultra Mac Pro. The M2 Ultra Mac Pro's open PCIe slots will be for future upgrades as required.

The wheels on the 2019 Mac Pro will be removed and installed on the new 2023 Mac Pro, and its stands/feet will be removed and transferred over to the 2019 Mac Pro.

Having the bulk of my daily used data on the disks in the J2i and on the Sonnet SSDs, it will save loads of wall clock time moving the data over from the 2019 MP to the 2023 MP, as the data will be immediately available on the new MP without any fuss or bother.

For me, Apple's 2023 MP is just the ticket for making an upgrade to the Apple Silicon era. I'm tickled pink.

Will place the order next week. Expect delivery to be in Oct sometime.

I wonder what macOS version will be on it .... Ventura or Sonoma that was released today?

Will place the 2019 Mac Pro 16core/3.2GHz, Turbo Boost up to 4.4 GHz, Radeon Pro Vega II with 32GB of HBM2 memory, 384 GB RAM, Apple Afterburner, 1TB SSD, and extended AppleCare+ active up for sale.

So did you ever come across anyone testing the idea of simply adding a single 2T "upgrade" module to an existing single 2T module? For me it's not so much about cost as the principal of potentially having a paper-weight object called a 2T module that is useless for anything else ever aside from maybe selling to a 1T single build user.